Talks to Young Men. VI: The Ideal Young Man

TALKS TO YOUNG MEN. VI.— THE IDEAL YOUNG MAN. At one of the preliminary meetings of the Sugar M. I. Asso- ciations, Granite stake, it was arranged to have two essays, one by a young lady and one by a young man, followed by symposiums of twenty-five-word sentiments, from ten young men and ten young women — the young ladies giving their views on "The Ideal Young Man," and the young men, their views on "The Ideal Young Lady." The young lady's essay, and a selection from the women's sym- posium, are here given, and will doubtless please the boys who take an interest in these talks. If any of the girls who read the Era would like to know what constitutes the boys' ideal young lady, — the other side will be printed, on the slightest intimation from any one of them, by letter to the editor of these talks, care, of Improvement Era: "A man can not aspire if he looks down. God has not created us with aspirations and longings for heights to which we can not climb. Live upward. The unattained still beckons us toward the summit of life's mountains, into the atmosphere where great souls live and breathe and have their being." — Marden. "As a man's ideal or aspiration, so shall his life be." It is said man is a dual being. My ideal is triple: physical, intellectual, spiritual. In order to become an ideal, a young man must select and combine all the beauties and perfections of differ- ent individuals, excluding all that is defective. Such was the Apollo of the Greeks, which, it is claimed, was a perfect illustration or model of physical manhood. A young man may not attain to the generally accepted height and measurement necessary to become a model of beauty;

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YOUNG MEN 455 yet, by proper observance of the laws of life, obtain a body so filled with health and vigor that a degree of perfection in intellectual and spiritual development may also be attained. The physical must stand first. Without a good body, all the powers and faculties will be blighted. As well might we expect to obtain lucious, beautiful fruit from a tree whose roots were poorly developed, or a rich harvest from an impoverished soil, as to antici- pate rare intellectual and spiritual results from a diseased body. The ideal young man, then, must be strong in body, and as near as possible physically perfect. To have a splendid physique, embraces many virtues. It is brought about by right living, for one thing. The ideal must have trained his appetite so that it is perfectly under his control; so that it will not crave food or drink that destroys or emaciates the body, or wrecks the nerves. That means that he must eat and drink in conformity with the wise counsels of the Lord, who has given us splendid pointers in modern revelation touching our mode of life, in this respect. The ideal is one who can walk and not faint, run and not be weary, and whose appetite is under the supreme control of a pure mind. As he controls his eating and drinking, so also does he govern his passions. He flies into no rage, no matter what the provocation; is temperate in language, thoughtful of the weak, always upright and sympathetic, and uses his strength to help the weary and sustain the less fortunate. He is pure as the mountain winds, and uses the vigor and vitality of his noble manhood to useful ends, for the good of the race. He abstains from the vices and follies of young men who have no regard for the fountains of strength and life, but indulge in every whim of wickedness that unrestrained passions suggest. He respects his fellows, and considers sacred as his own body, those of his associates of the opposite sex. He realizes that he was not made for himself alone, but for society, for mankind, and for God. The ideal young man is not lazy, shiftless, fearful of labor; but on the contrary cultivates a healthy activity, works to a pur- pose, having an aim, and bending all his energies to accomplish it; is frugal in his habits, saving, and lays by a part of his earnings, realizing that he thus accumulates power to accomplish good, for

456 IMPROVEMENT ERA. money is a representation of physical power. He provides well for those who are dependent upon him; is thrifty, delighting in his work which he does with a cheerful spirit. While he pays particu- lar attention to those with whom he is immediately connected, he accustoms himself to send his thoughts abroad over the wide field of practical benevolence. He takes an interest in the surroundings of his home, the gar- den, the trees, the lawn, and spends some of his odd hours in beautifying them. His habits are good, and not expensive, for he is aware that better results accrue by plain living than from lux- urious excesses and he feels that the balance between excess and comfort may be turned to useful ends for others. He is considerate of his mother, and steps aside to give his father the place of honor, whether at home or abroad; and when meet- ing father or mother on the street, shows his respect by raising his hat to them. He is determined to learn to work, and to do well what he learns — never shirking, always in the front; having a full realization that work, some useful work, is the one great cause of contentment and happiness in this world. To this end he has learned a trade, obtained a good business training, or perfected himself in some profession; or has become an intelligent tiller of the soil, avoiding the slipshod methods of farming of which we see so much. "Thinking, not growth alone, makes perfect manhood. No posses- sion is so productive of real influence as a highly cultivated intellect, combined with a large and noble soul." The ideal young man must be educated. He must learn to think, read, meditate, and to judge justly, that he may be prepared intellectually, physically and morally for useful occupation and labor, and to be a champion in the cause of truth and virtue. In this way he will learn to look upon life in the best light, and be able to see, enjoy and comprehend, where the uneducated grope blindly and unfeelingly through the journey of this world. Education of the proper kind has given the ideal young man good manners, enabled him to use tact, granted him self-confi- dence, nerve, grit, pluck, persistence. These assist him in the formation of true character. Among
the most important requirements of my ideal young

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YOUNG MEN. 457 man is this, that he must be a broad-minded Latter-day Saint, possessing a testimony founded upon reasons which he can intel- ligently state, having a proper training in the principles of the gospel, being conversant with the virtues in the life of Christ, and a seeker after them. He must not be a narrow theorist, but a liberal man of practice, who not only sympathizes with the un- fortunate but helps them in their afflictions, and who keeps him- self pure and unspotted from the sins of the world. He must be trained in the theory, and proficient in the practice, of forgiveness, love, mercy, charity — a true lover of the human race, full of faith and cheer and hope. His spiritual nature must be fully developed, so that in the contemplation of spiritual things he may take pleasure that never cloys. He is in no sense gross or material. He enjoys poetry, art, nature; and from and through these, be- holds God in all the universe. SYMPOSIUM— THE IDEAL YOUNG MAN. An ideal young man is well described by a series of adjec- tives; as honest, temperate, thoughtful, courteous, and punctual (in going as well as coming.*) Let him be a young man of action, possessing fine moral and religious qualities, good judgment, a keen intellect, a heart not smaller than his head; either natural or acquired ability as a leader, with a manly bearing, and a nice appreciation of the smaller as well as the hrger things of life. Then, too, let him be congenial and affable, courteous and considerate of others, and for the most part serious, with the alternating disposition to tell or to take a joke. Virtue, honor, learning, high ideals, with determination and energy to realize them,— character and courage to say yes or no, as
occasion demands, neatness in dress and personal appearance, * The
reader will notice that this is the one girl among the four who could say it in twenty-five words. — Ed.